There are many disparate types of fasteners used in the manufacture of articles of clothing. The type of fastener chosen for a given application will depend in part on the intended application, as often different design considerations apply to different applications. For example, fasteners for a brassiere (hereinafter referred to simply as a “bra”) will preferably be low profile fasteners, will ideally be relatively simple for the wearer to open and close, and yet will be sufficiently secure so that they are not prone to inadvertent opening during normal movement of the wearer. These are all important considerations when designing a fastener for a bra.
By having a low profile, the fastener will protrude less through the wearer's clothing and will provide a more aesthetically pleasing offering. Furthermore, by having a low profile the fasteners will have less tendency to catch on other items of clothing. It is important that bra fasteners in particular are simple for the wearer to open and close. Often, the closures will be behind the wearer's back and a fastener that is relatively simple to open and close will facilitate dressing and undressing. This is particularly important if the wearer has arthritis or another condition that may affect their manual dexterity.
It is also important that, as well as being relatively simple to open and close deliberately, the fastener must not be prone to inadvertent opening. A fastener that opens inadvertently may cause considerable embarrassment to the wearer as well as inconvenience. For example, if the fastener is part of a bikini or bra, inadvertent opening of the fastener may result in the wearer exposing themselves to others which may be a cause of great distress. Similarly, if the fastener opens unintentionally with regularity, this can be most inconvenient as the wearer will have to resecure the fastener each time it opens. This may require the wearer to leave their current location and go to a place with more privacy, such as a bathroom, so that they can resecure the fastener.
However, often, the different design considerations conflict with each other. For example, as a general rule of thumb, the thinner that a fastener becomes, the more prone it will be to opening inadvertently. This is particularly the case for fasteners constructed from plastic material. When the fastener constructed from plastic material is made very thin, it will lose much of its structural rigidity and will have a tendency to bend and therefore open inadvertently under an applied load.
A number of fasteners are known in the art. European Pat. App. No. EP0084747 in the name of Tareau describes a fastener for a garment. U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,085 in the name of Milano describes an adjustable fastener for clothing, including brassieres. U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,489 in the name of Fildan et al discloses an adjustable strap fastener for brassieres and a method of making same. French Pat. App. No. FR1409820 in the name of Girodet describes a fastener for a brassiere or other article of lingerie. Japanese Pat. App. No. JPS547701U also appears to disclose a fastener.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fastener that overcomes at least some of the problems with the known fasteners. It is a further object of the invention to provide a fastener that offers a useful alternative choice to the consumer.